


better than anyone

by emmaswoodhouse



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, david is brave and patrick loves him for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 04:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20736473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmaswoodhouse/pseuds/emmaswoodhouse
Summary: Depending on which one of them you ask, it was love at first sight.A relationship retrospective from Patrick's POV.





	better than anyone

Depending on which one of them you ask, it was love at first sight. It most definitely was for Patrick, even though he hardly would have admitted it back then. He’s pretty sure David would argue the opposite – that they’d met, stuck up an unlikely, _purely platonic_ business partnership, built on mutual respect and admiration, and then things just slowly and gradually…happened.

But David was wrong. (And oh, did Patrick enjoy knowing as much.) For Patrick, it was there from the moment David shook his hand, with his wandering eyes and strikingly off-beat outfit. From the moment he’d started describing his ridiculously vague and contradictory ideas for his business, and Patrick had just stared at him with a mixture of awe and confusion, a warmth had started growing in his chest unlike any he’d ever felt before.

It was strange and terrifying, and Patrick had tried his damn hardest to push it back down. He had _just_ moved into this town, he didn’t need this right now. It was the last thing he needed.

He did not spend that whole afternoon staring at his phone, as if that would coax it into ringing. He wasn’t desperate to hear David’s wonderfully dramatic, sarcastic voice again. He wasn’t. He _couldn’t_ be.

So leaving his phone at home for the night was the reasonable thing to do. And he was right. He came home to six voice messages, all from the same unknown number. Patrick smiled to himself, that same warmth rising up even higher than before. It had to be him, he just knew it. Patrick’s hand didn’t shake with excitement as he pressed play. It did _not_.

_“Hi, David, it’s Patrick.”_

And just like that, Patrick Brewer knew he was a complete goner.

**

When Patrick met Alexis he thought this would be it – the thing he needed to get that ridiculous idea of a crush on David out of his head. Alexis was so like David – the way she spoke, her confidence that was just teetering on the edge of arrogance, the way she carried herself like it was a blessing for everyone around her just to be in her presence. Patrick should have been smitten, and she clearly wanted him to be. But as much as she was _like_ David, she still wasn’t him. And Patrick was beginning to suspect it wasn’t just David’s personality and general demeanor he was infatuated by – it was every single thing about him. It was David himself that Patrick was crazy about. And it was fucking terrifying.

**

Patrick said David’s name_ a lot _while talking to him. He knew David probably noticed it but he was nice enough not to tease him about it. Or maybe (hopefully) he liked hearing it as much as Patrick liked saying it. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but every time he’d say his name it was like a much needed reminder that David was real – this ridiculous, complicated, sexually ambiguous, wearing-black-designer-sweaters-in-the-dead-of-summer individual was very real, and had occupied every waking thought Patrick had since they’d met.

He said his name at the beginning and end of every sentence, just for good measure. Just to make sure he was pressing every single button David had without losing his mind over it, and it was working. A single side-smirk from David was enough to brighten Patrick’s entire week. He wanted to see it every day, every goddamn day until…Shit, Patrick was getting way too ahead of himself. He wasn’t even sure there was anything there. He didn’t even know he was into guys until a few weeks ago. But was it even ‘guys’? Or was there just something absolutely irresistible about being on the receiving end of a half-smile by David Rose that made Patrick’s insides tingle like he was 13 years old? He was so confused. But it still felt amazing. So he did it again, and again, just to see when it would stop feeling right.

_David, David, David…_But it never did. It felt so damn right every time.

**

To say that Patrick was a little disappointed to see Stevie at David’s birthday dinner would be kind of an understatement. Don’t get him wrong, he loved Stevie’s company. From the moment she’d turned to David with her mouth open, whispering “I like him”, and Patrick had felt a surprise sense of accomplishment at her approval, she had easily become one of his favorite people in this town. Maybe even his second absolute favorite.

But tonight was supposed to be…he didn’t know. He couldn’t call it a date; that would be ridiculous. They were in a diner. It was David’s birthday and everyone had forgotten it. Patrick just wanted to be a good friend. Then why was it bothering him so much that it wouldn’t just be the two of them?

David loved his present. It meant more than Patrick could ever say, and he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to. It killed him that he wasn’t good with words, especially right now. Especially when this could be his only chance. Stevie leaves immediately after that and Patrick’s sure of it now – this is a date. There’s a fire raging inside his chest.

He’s full-on shaking as they pull into the motel parking lot. This is it. If he doesn’t make it entirely clear how he feels right now, he’ll never get the chance to and then he’ll explode and die on his way home. He has no idea how to even begin explaining it. How could he when it was basically all inside his head? There’s nobody he could have talked to about this, he was completely alone here. What if he was just imagining there being anything at all? Months of obvious flirting and friendly banter, what if that’s all it was?

So instead, he says the one thing he is absolutely sure about.

“I’m really glad I decided to invest in your business, David.” David’s eyes crinkle and it’s the most adorable thing Patrick’s ever seen. He tries to imagine a world where David had never walked into his office but it hurts too much. He never wants to live a life without David Rose in it again.

“That is a really lovely thing to say.” David smirks at him and god, it is the most David response he could have possibly received. Okay, so they’re still playing this.

So Patrick pushes again, and David pushes back, _again_, and Patrick is as sure now as he’s ever been. But it still terrifies him. But then thank god, _thank all the gods_, David leans in first, and it happens. They’re kissing. And it’s incredible. Patrick feels the weight of the entire world falling off of his shoulders. All this time, it wasn’t all in his head. It was real and this was just the beginning of it. Whatever ‘it’ was. They had time to figure that out. As soon as they pull back, and after he’s regained consciousness, Patrick says the first thought that comes into his head.

“Thank you.” David smiles at him, a little confused, and asks him what for. How does he explain? How does he even begin to describe all of the unbelievable things he’s felt since meeting David?

So again, he settles for the truth – how he was terrified that he would miss his only chance to show David how much he wanted this. How grateful he was that David was so brave, braver than he ever could be, so that they could have this. Whatever ‘this’ was.

Tomorrow, they’d agreed. They’d talk about it tomorrow. Even the idea of tomorrow was enough to keep Patrick buzzing all the way home. There would be a tomorrow – one where he’d get to kiss David again, to stare at him adoringly as he gave overly dramatic monologues about table cloths and bath salts, to hold his hand, to kiss his neck, to touch him in ways he hadn’t allowed himself to think about until now. But now he could. Everything was possible now. There was tomorrow.

**

“These mountaineering shoes that my boyfriend is wearing, looking like Oprah on a Thanksgiving Day hike – incorrect!” Patrick’s breath catches as he hears the word and his heart full-on stops beating.

His boyfriend. He was David Rose’s boyfriend. David Rose was_ his boyfriend_. He knew these were facts, but neither one of them had said it out loud until now. Once again David is braver than him and he doesn’t even realize it.

These might have just become Patrick’s favorite two words in the world, maybe even more so than David’s - _his boyfriend’s - _name_. _

He repeats it about seventy more times that night alone, a few of those whispered particularly slow and dirty into David’s ear. David kisses the words back into Patrick’s mouth and he shivers. He feels drunk on it and never wants to stop saying it – “_my boyfriend_”. Nothing has ever felt this right.

The next morning he gets the first message from Rachel and deletes it immediately. He’s surprised to discover he had almost completely forgotten she existed.

**

Rachel is there waiting for him on a bench after he leaves David’s room. Patrick really doesn’t want to talk to her right now, just wants to go home, crawl into his bed and think about how he’s going to fix this mess. But he has to clear things up with her first. He’s avoided it long enough and he owed them both an explanation.

“So…?” Rachel looks at him expectantly as he sits down next to her.

“So…” Patrick takes a breath, surer than ever of what he has to say. “That was David. We met a few months ago and we kind of own this local store together now. And I know how he seems – neurotic and overwhelming and dramatic, but he’s also incredibly generous and caring and much nicer than he’d ever admit to anyone, and I…” Patrick looks up at Rachel’s bewildered expression. “I love him. I’m in love with him.”

Rachel’s eyes widen. “Wow.” She says quietly. If she’s hurt, she doesn’t show it and he’s so grateful to her for that. “Okay. So you’re…?”

“I don’t know what I am. All I know is that I want to be with him more than anything. And I know you probably don’t want to hear this right now but…That’s never been how I felt about us, as much as I wanted to, as hard as I tried. Something always felt off with us. And it wasn’t about what you did or didn’t do. We just didn’t work, Rach.” It felt so liberating to say this. “I’m not your person.”

“But he’s _your_ person?” She asks him without a trace of malice in her voice. It seems she needed this talk just as much as he did.

Patrick thinks about how much easier his life would have been without David in it. How he would have stuck with his safe, easy job with Rey, how he would have gotten that first text from Rachel and they would have gotten back together, gotten married, lived comfortably ever after.

Patrick hated the idea of this life. He hated himself for almost subjecting Rachel to this life because of his own reluctance to be honest. _“You make me feel right, David.” _God, how true that was. In more ways than one.

“Yeah. He’s my person.” Patrick says, every bit of certainty in his voice. Rachel gives him a small smile. He knows they’re gonna be okay.

**

David hadn’t spoken to him all this time because he was getting presents. Patrick should be mad. He should be _so_ mad. Instead he thinks he’s more in love with him than ever.

Besides, he has to admit that watching David flawlessly lip sync their song at their store at 9 pm on a Wednesday was a better olive branch than Patrick could have ever hoped to get back.

He was absolutely, ridiculously sure of it now. This was his person.

**

David walks into the store and kisses him the way they only do when they’re completely alone. Patrick melts into it. As they pull back, the look in David’s eyes is something Patrick is ready to die for right then and there.

“I love you.” David all but whispers and it’s the most beautiful sound Patrick has ever heard in his life. He wants it to ring in his ears forever. He wants to wake up and fall asleep with it every single day.

It hits him in an instant that that was actually possible. He could have David forever. There was nothing he wanted more. It was terrifying but in a very different and exciting way. He wasn’t afraid of how he felt at all anymore. He was ready to feel like this every day for the rest of his life. He was ready for it to keep getting better and better, the deeper he got lost into the gorgeous wreck that was David Rose.

His Mariah Carey. His boyfriend. His person.

As complicated and messy and exhausting as Patrick was sure it was going to be at times – he was ready.

And he was never looking back again. How could he when his future was looking pretty damn bright. Even if it was wearing a black designer sweater in the middle of summer.

**

It’s a year later and Patrick is wounded, tired and hot after being dragged up a mountain by his boyfriend for the last two hours. This was _so_ not how this trip was supposed to go. He was supposed to wow David with this beautiful view, and the champagne, and the sunset, and then he would have made his big, romantic speech and proposed with fireworks. But all that went out the window when he stepped on a fucking branch.

And still, watching David once again handle the situation perfectly and without any trace of panic, reminded Patrick just who he had fallen in love with. His impossibly right person. Which is why he knew he couldn’t wait for a right time. Any time he was with David was the right time. He didn’t want to wait a single moment longer.

He slides down and tries his best to get on one knee, just in time for David to turn around, eyes immediately filling with tears. “What’s going on?” David chokes.

And Patrick tells him everything. All the days he spent walking up this hike, his mind muddled with thoughts about his business partner he had suddenly realized he wanted to be so much more than just business partners with. How he wasn’t sure he’d ever know if David felt the same, and even if he did, how he never would have been brave enough to tell him.

“And now here he is, the love of my life, standing in front of me. This just felt like the perfect place to ask you to marry me.” He feels lighter than he has in his entire life. _Nothing has ever felt more right._

“Are you sure?” David asks tearfully and Patrick wants to cry. After all this time, David still has no idea how much he means to him. _Well_, Patrick thinks, _I have the rest of my life to show him now._

“Easiest decision of my life.” Patrick is barely able to answer, fully ready to jump into David’s arms. _His fiancé’s_ arms.

And there it was. His entire life, Patrick had believed everything had to go according to a plan. He’d finish business school, marry Rachel, get a boring, stable desk job, make a couple of cute kids and live a long, uneventful life. It would have been so easy. But then he decided to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere and met someone who changed everything. And suddenly, every plan he ever made was now useless. He knew that every decision he had ever made so far had led him to meeting David. To going into business with David. To falling in love with David. To stepping on a stupid branch and having David carry him up a hill, where he could ask the love of his life to marry him. There is no planning that.

Who needs a plan anyway when you’ve got David Rose and his hand sanitizer to take care of you when you get hurt?

Patrick Brewer was a lucky guy.


End file.
